Oyster Omelette, Redeemed

Oyster omelette, fresh oysters fried with beaten eggs and usually bound with some sort of starch solution, is an Asian street food staple.

I had my first taste in Hong Kong about 15 years ago -- the dish's flavorless bivalves and strangely gummy texture left me underwhelmed. Since then I've sampled -- usually at the goading of well-meaning local gourmands -- various versions, from Shanghai (mushy oysters) to Penang (nice char, but an awful lot of grease), and I remained unimpressed.

Until last June, when we ate our way around Tainan, Taiwan's unofficial xiao chi ('small eats', ie 'snack') capital.

On Guohe Jie, a narrow lane alongside Yun Le Market that's lined on both sides with food stalls, four or five oyster omelette vendors ply their trade side by side. Deciding which stall to order from was easy; the stools in front of this gentleman's counter were consistently occupied when others sat empty.

The quality of eh-ah jian, as oyster omelette is known in Taiwan, rests firmly on the quality of its main ingredient. More than three weeks of grazing along the island's west coast showed us that its seafood is among the best in the region. And Tainan proper sits near the coast, so the freshness of this vendor's oysters was never in question

 

To make his omelette, he heats oil on a well-seasoned griddle and adds about fifteen plump specimens. While the oysters sizzle he breaks a couple eggs (duck eggs are available on request) to their side, piercing the yolks with the corner of his spatula. After sprinkling bean sprouts, shredded lettuce, and bits of pork crackling over eggs and oysters, he drizzles a third of a spatula of starch solution (sweet potato starch mixed with water) over the lot.

A large lid placed over the griddle firms up the eggs and the binder,

 

and then he folds the four sides of the 'pancake',

to make a neat egg and oyster envelope.

The eh ah jian is served alongside a pool of sauces, one a bit sweet and salty like fermented bean paste, the other tasting like a cross between hoisin and oyster sauce.

I could do without the sauces, frankly, and the next time I dine at this stall I'll ask the vendor to leave them off my plate.

Otherwise, his forty years of oyster omelette-making experience manifest themselves in hands down the best oyster omelette we've ever eaten, a lightly charred egg pillow spilling briny, barely cooked oysters and crispy sprouts and lettuce and sporting barely a hint of grease that made me do a one-eighty on this street food specialty that I'd long scorned.

The key here is the omelette maker's light hand with the starch solution: there's enough of it to pull the other ingredients together, but not enough to create that gumminess that I find such a turn-off in other versions.

Oysters at 8am? If they take the form of this gent's oyster omelette, why not?

Oyster omelette, Guohe Jie (second stall from the corner, right next to a popiah vendor), Tainan, Taiwan. Early morning to 3pm-ish.

Comments

[KennyT]

I agree with you. The oyster omelettes in Taiwan is better than the ones in HK! Nice photos!!!

[3hungrytummies]

looks absolutely to die for. nice photos and love how he was very willing to be photographed.

[Kirbie]

Oh I was so excited to see the title of this post! And after reading the intro and how you had all these bad oyster omelets, I kept thinking "you need to try the one in Taiwan!" And you did! Wonderful post. I love oyster omelets and I have yet to find one in the US that is even close to the ones I have eaten in Taiwan.

[Xander]

I would be curious to try this dish again if I make it to Tainan-- but I have to say the thought of an oyster omelet makes me a little squeamish. We tried one at the fish market in Hsinchu, but what we got was a plate of glop, covered in red sauce, that was just too disgusting to eat (one of our only really bad eating experiences in Taiwan). But, I'd be willing to give it another try if it was truly well prepared... maybe... -X

[550ml jar of faith @minchow]

Oh no, Taiwan! I missed this out during my inaugural trip there and I fear I may not return anytime in the near future. We have our share of decent oyster omelettes here in Malaysia but I will die happy only when I've tried every single version out there.

[Maddie]

This looks great! PS--what kind of camera do you use?

[Borneoboy]

The gooeey starchy oyster omelette you mentioned is actually a Teochew version. My mum makes it with prawns as we can't get fresh oysters in Kuching until recently. I grew up with the stuff, and kind of like it. On it's own it is a bit bland, but we normally dip it in fish sauce laced with white pepper, and the flavour is transformed into something quite delicious !

[J2Kfm]

hmm, previously, I digged Swatow Lane's version a lot (before the streetside stalls relocated to the more swanky food court), with its crisp, crackly sides, and sweet tiny oysters.
but since then, I've yet to find a decent one in Penang, and I've tried almost all of the famous ones.
i'll stay away from those dodgy sauces as well, and maybe ask for some simple, chilly sauce.

[Lina]

Yum, this looks delicious! I think I am going to have to add Taiwan to my itinerary. Already the list is starting to look at little long and it's all your site's fault!

[Gastronomer]

Oh Lord this was a tasty post! You're a lucky woman, Robin!

[Chinese Restaurant Supply]

That O-ah-jian! (sorry, tried to spell it out in english...lol) I love it! MMMmmmMMMMmmm! Great post!

[Jennifer]

I'm not an "orh-jian" lover, but oh, you must try the version at Boon Tat, the Teochew seafood restaurant we frequent when back in KL (it's in Port Klang). It looks like a flat Saturn -- not gummy, a crepey thin pancake ring around perfectly fried oysters. I could polish off a large platter of those on my own (but then wouldn't have room for the eight other delicacies on their menu).

[Rasa Malaysia]

I agree, I don't understand the purpose of the brown sauce on Taiwanese oysters omelet. Personally, it doesn't add anything to the taste, if any, I think it kills it.

[Vivien]

i still prefer Penang's one, the oyster huge, sticky and yummy with big oyster, this one looks a bit dry to me, maybe the lack of oil, and kinda healthy food... unlike what i usually associate oyster ommelete as an oily indulgence

[C.S.]

I'm making it this week! Made me think of home, particularly a spot in Klang at... oh wait, someone's beaten me to it! ;-)

[Horlic]

Hmmmm.. Yummy. Love this. Thanks for sharing.

[Nick]

There's a place in KL on Jalan Alor I've had oyster omelette that was really incredible. They use just enough starch to make the outer part of the egg really crispy. No gumminess at all, less greasy than usual. The oysters weren't loaded with flavor, but they were fresh if a bit small. The texture of the whole thing, though, is addictive with chili served on the side.

Location is here, more or less (http://tinyurl.com/y8d6cjy). On the corner is a unit that houses maybe 10 small vendors. In the back right corner, they work he omelette magic.

What I've had in Taipei was tasty but yeah, could do without the sauce. Going to Taipei next week so I'll hunt this guy down.

Every one of these I've had in Singapore was greasy and gloopy. I guess it's the Teochew style, but it's really not for me.

[Trish]

For those of you who tried the oyster omelette in China and found it yucky, don't pass judgement on the dish as a whole until you've tried Taiwan's oyster omelette. It's a staple of the nightmarket and little vendor booths and Taiwan is where the oyster omelette really got its fame. I'm currently eating on for dinner, and for just about $1.50, it's a real deal.

[A]

I thought oyster omelet was a Taiwan street food staple-I don't think of it as an Asian street food staple. Am I wrong? Like bubble tea, isn't oyster omelet from Taiwan?